Politics

• Wednesday, August 4th 2010 - 23:31 UTC

  Mercosur reminds Paraguay of “quick conclusion” to Venezuela’s incorporation

  

  Mercosur presidents, meeting in Argentina, called for a “quick conclusion” of Venezuela’s incorporation process to the block which remains stalled at the Paraguayan congress.

• Wednesday, August 4th 2010 - 22:08 UTC

  Venezuela’s oil corporation profits plummet because of “•global capitalist crisis”

  

  State-owned Petroleos de Venezuela SA earnings reached 4.49 billion US dollars in 2009, down from 9.41 billion in 2008, Energy and Petroleum Minister Rafael Ramirez revealed this week. Speaking at PDVSA headquarters in Caracas, he cited the “global capitalist crisis” as a major factor in the sharp fall in net income.

• Wednesday, August 4th 2010 - 22:00 UTC

  Brazil ready for first television clash between Dilma Rousseff and Serra

  

  Brazil’s main presidential candidates will be holding their first televised debate Thursday evening less than two months to voting day October 3. The debate has been organized by Bandeirantes Television and will also include two other candidates with lesser chance, so all eyes will be set on incumbent Dilma Rousseff and opposition leader Jose Serra

• Wednesday, August 4th 2010 - 21:55 UTC

  Released Cuban dissident arrives in Chile as political refuge

  

  One of the 20 released Cuban political prisoners who arrived in Spain last month left on Tuesday to settle in Chile. Jose Ubaldo Izquierdo Hernandez, 44 arrived in Santiago de Chile Wednesday accompanied by his wife, children and several other family members after having stayed almost two weeks in a Madrid hotel.

• Wednesday, August 4th 2010 - 20:56 UTC

  Fidel Castro back on stage to discuss “issues of interest in the international situation”

  

  Former Cuban President Fidel Castro’s request for an extraordinary session of parliament to discuss foreign affairs was granted Wednesday which could mean the retired leader of the 1959 revolution may be taking a greater role in government.

• Wednesday, August 4th 2010 - 06:51 UTC

  Mexico to debate legalization of drugs; 28.000 deaths related to the ‘war’

  

  Mexican president Felipe Calderon has invited the country to a serious debate on the legalization of drugs in light of the latest figures indicating that over 28,000 people had been killed in a four year period.

• Wednesday, August 4th 2010 - 02:42 UTC

  Lula da Silva’s double challenge as Mercosur chair

  

  Consolidating Mercosur as an “undisputed irreversible” integrated block will be Brazilian president Lula da Silva challenge as the pro-tempore chair of the group in the last leg of his eight years in office.

• Wednesday, August 4th 2010 - 01:08 UTC

  Venezuela begs Paraguayan congress to vote on Mercosur incorporation

  

  Venezuela’s Foreign Affairs minister Nicolas Maduro called on the Paraguayan parliament for a “sincere and fraternal” vote that opens the way for Venezuela’s incorporation to Mercosur as a full member, a request pending since 2006.

• Wednesday, August 4th 2010 - 01:03 UTC

  “Fantastic summit” effectively turns Mercosur into a customs union

  

  Mercosur concluded Tuesday in Argentina one of its most successful summits after having reached agreements on issues that consolidate integration and at the same avoiding being drawn into a frustrating debate on a renewed chapter of the ongoing Venezuela/Colombia conflict.

• Tuesday, August 3rd 2010 - 15:20 UTC

  UN Court ruling props “self determination”, contains “territorial integrity”

  

  An International Court of Justice ruling, that Kosovo (in the Balkans) did not violate international law when it claimed secession from Serbia in February 2008, may have implications for territories caught in territorial sovereignty disputes such as Gibraltar, it has emerged.